China News Service, Beijing, February 8 (Reporter Wang Shiyao) Waiting for a sapling to grow up, waiting for a child to grow up, waiting for a two-way journey in the name of music, how much time are you willing to give to waiting?
A concert called "You Are Worth Waiting", Zhang Weijian has been waiting for nearly ten years. Cheung Weijian, who debuted in a singing competition, is often overlooked as a singer because he has left too many classic roles in filming.
Singing was Zhang Weijian’s first dream. What he didn't expect was that after winning the singing competition and realizing his dream, he would have to wait for another long time. In the eight years since the release of his first album, Nick Cheung started his career as an actor, and the gears of destiny were slowly turning.
"I think everything is God's arrangement. If it were not like this, I would not be an actor, and there would be no Fang Shiyu, Detective Fang Mao, Clever Little Boy, Sun Wukong, Wei Xiaobao, none of them would appear. "
Life has gone through several ups and downs. If you could do it over again, what would you choose? Zhang Weijian told a reporter from China News Service: "I just choose to copy and paste. This kind of life is flavorful."
Weijian Zhang concert poster. Photo provided by interviewee
Holding a concert at the age of 59: determined and powerful
Recently, Nick Cheung has been busy rehearsing for concerts in Hong Kong every day. Until the moment before he agreed with reporters for an interview, he was still busy shooting promotional materials.
"Waiting" is a key word of this concert, and Zhang Weijian gave it a double meaning. "I have been waiting to meet you all in the form of a concert. At the same time, some friends may also be waiting for this meeting. It is a two-way street."
On the concert poster, Zhang Weijian is holding a handful of soil in his hand, with a sapling growing from a broken eggshell. Waiting for a sapling to grow into a towering tree takes time and patience.
"I know that many of my TV dramas or some of my songs have accompanied everyone's growth. Maybe they were still studying or falling in love at that time, but today when they are sitting in the audience listening to the concert, they may already be their mommy or daddy. Maybe the CEO of a company.”
Zhang Weijian said that he looked forward to witnessing the old saplings grow into towering trees and continue to protect new saplings. Maybe it's these that make the waiting time meaningful.
In order to live up to the wait, Nick Cheung revealed that multiple surprise stages were prepared for the concert. In addition to the return of classic characters to kick off the "Memory Killing", a magic team was specially hired to create romance when singing lyrical songs. In addition, Chinese style songs and martial arts performances were also prepared to create a rich audio-visual feast.
A few days after the interview, a video of Zhang Weijian's concert rehearsal was on the hot search list. In the picture, Weijian Cheung was playing a piano that was rotating 360 degrees. However, after a few turns, an accident occurred. The person and the piano hit the ground heavily, and Weijian Cheung was also pinned down by the piano.
For a time, many concerned voices came in from the Internet. Fortunately, Zhang Weijian was not injured in the accident. He also updated the video to report to everyone that he was safe. After the hanging hearts fell, everyone began to lament how "hardworking" the older generation of artists really was.
For 59-year-old Zhang Weijian, it seems that it is instinct to work hard to do his best. Whether he was filming 8 movies a year as a bit player or working part-time to earn living expenses, he never complained.
Even now, Zhang Weijian, who has been in the industry for 40 years, still maintains his hard work. During concert rehearsals, he used 3 times the training volume as a benchmark, "Whether it is dance music or martial arts, I will complete it 3 times in a row from beginning to end. The advantage of this is that if I can withstand 3 times the training volume, It will definitely be fine once the concert is over."
"Using four words, it means determination and strength." Zhang Weijian said with confidence.
Weijian Zhang. Photo provided by interviewee
"The singers at that time were too strong, so I had no choice but to be squeezed out."
In 1984, Nick Cheung, who had loved singing since he was a child, participated in the 3rd Hong Kong Rookie Singing Competition and made his debut by winning the championship with his song "Love Crossing".
Zhang Weijian, who was only 19 years old at the time, was good at singing and dancing and was nicknamed "Generator". Zhang Weijian, who had just entered the music scene and was about to show off his talents, found that the Hong Kong music scene at that time was already full of talents. If he wanted to make his own way, the title of "Draft Champion" alone was not enough.
There are too many singers with strong singing and dancing abilities gathered in the Hong Kong music scene in its heyday, such as Lai Lai, Vivian Chow, Du Dewei, Liang Hanwen, and the rising star Eason Chan. "There is no way, there is no room for two tigers in one mountain, not to mention there are many tigers on this mountain, all of them are good at singing and dancing, so I can only be squeezed away."
Seeing that there was no hope of releasing an album, Dicky Cheung turned to Hong Kong Wireless Television (TVB), but he could only win some marginal supporting roles.
This was the most difficult period in Nick Cheung's life. He had no time to care about career setbacks and whether there was a male lead role. Where to collect next month's electricity, water and rent bills is the top priority right now.
The eldest boy, who is in his early 20s, took over the burden of the family early. He has to bear the tuition fees of his younger brothers and the family expenses alone. At that time, Nick Cheung's salary was just enough to pay the family's rent. Where would he earn the rest of his living expenses?
"Fortunately, I had the opportunity to sing in some nightclubs in Shenzhen. At that time, after filming in Hong Kong during the day, I took the train to Shenzhen to sing at night. After singing, I went back to sleep the next day, and continued filming in the morning."
In this way, he spent nearly 8 years of being a bit player. As the contract renewal approached, Zhang Weijian decided to give it a final try. He went to his boss and wrote a "blank check" on the spot, stating that he wanted no money and only wanted a chance to play the leading role.
Zhang Weijian vowed to the other party that he would definitely make more money for the company. It was precisely this unexpected negotiation that won Zhang Weijian his first male lead in his life, playing the gambling auxiliary traffic policeman Shang Tiantang in the TV series "Old Friends and Ghosts". And he did not break his promise. With this role, he became an instant hit and ushered in the first peak of his career.
It was because of this popularity that Zhang Weijian finally got the opportunity to make films that he had always dreamed of. In 1992, Zhang Weijian released his first Cantonese album "True and False". Once released, it quickly topped the music charts and won multiple new music awards.
However, the good times did not last long. In just three years, Zhang Weijian's career went from being very prosperous to being ignored again. A large number of repetitive and crude similar characters, as well as records that are of limited quality but not of high quality, have exhausted his popularity.
Weijian Zhang. Photo provided by interviewee
"I still have a lot of ideas, how could it go downhill?"
Looking back at Zhang Weijian's life trajectory, he has been able to turn around after falling to the bottom several times. It seems that God always leaves a window for him after closing a door for him.
When he had nowhere to show his talents in the music industry, he switched to acting. After a long period of playing a bit player, he took off for the first time in a leading role. When he couldn't find any opportunities in Hong Kong, a record company in Taiwan offered him an olive branch. .
It seems like you can bounce back every time, but in fact only those who have experienced the trough know that the feeling of powerlessness that is not sure whether you can get up again is the most painful. "It is said that starting a business is easy but keeping it is difficult. After you become famous, it's not that the audience doesn't recognize you, Zhang Weijian, but how do you give them a sense of freshness? This difficulty is even more difficult than when you first started."
The driving force that allowed Zhang Weijian to survive the trough period was a clear understanding of himself. "I feel like I still have a lot of creativity and ideas that haven't been used yet. How could it go downhill?"
As long as he still had something to take out, he couldn't stop. "No chance now? Okay, then I'll just hold on." When the opportunity comes, Zhang Weijian, who has been accumulating energy for a long time, will hold the opportunity tightly in his hands.
The album "Dream Lover" released after signing a contract with a Taiwanese record company gave Cheung a taste of popularity again, and invitations to TV series also flooded in. Under the persuasion of his younger brother, he returned to TVB to film "Journey to the West", starring as the male protagonist Sun Wukong.
As a result, the TV series became a hit and the ratings exceeded 40%. With his outstanding performance, Nick Cheung won the Most Unforgettable Actor Award at the TVB Star Festival 1999.
Although he later failed to reach an agreement with TVB over the sequel's remuneration, Nick Cheung once again withdrew from the Hong Kong film and television industry. But the subsequent roles in "Young Hero Fang Shiyu" and "Xiaobao and Kangxi" made Zhang Weijian popular again.
After coming to the mainland for development, Zhang Weijian's career entered a period of steady growth. "Little Clueless", "Treasure Bowl", "Young Zhang Sanfeng", "Detective Fang Mao", "Little Fish and Flowers"... Zhang Weijian has left too many classic roles in the childhood of those born in the 80s and 90s. Until now, many of his classic lines in the play are still widely circulated.
"I am the Tathagata Buddha, the Jade Emperor, and the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva designated to take the Western Sutra. I am the Monkey King of the Water Curtain Cave in the Flower and Fruit Mountain, the Monkey King, the Monkey King, the Monkey King, the Monkey King. I am so handsome!"
"A teacher who is arrogant and arrogant is the one who doesn't understand and is the most fluent in arguments."
"The cool breeze is trustworthy and the autumn moon is boundless. Thanks to my coquettish mood, my days are like years. Although I am not a graceful and graceful person facing the wind, I have a broad mind and strong arms."
…
The person reading the lines and the person standing in front of the TV have grown up a lot, but the shared memories they once had will not disappear.
Regarding being part of many people's "memory killing", Zhang Weijian said: "In every era, there are always some people and things that are worth remembering and waiting for. For me, at a certain period and stage , some people once gave Zhang Weijian a corner in their hearts, and I felt that I was already as good as myself. We don’t know each other, but I can occupy a place in someone’s heart, and I am already very satisfied.” (End)